Tag: ipod

KCLR96FM are a great bunch. They’ve had me on the air countless times over the last three years to promote everything from Kilkenny Music to the Blog Awards, PodCamp to Devious Theatre and beyond. I’ve had guest slots on shows on the station (used to do a regular gadget slot with them) and more recently was on air with Sue Nunn talking up the evolution of the mouse. So when I heard that Sue was going to have Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams as a guest on her show yesterday I thought I’d ask him a question – or have them ask a question for me.

I missed the majority of the show due to this week’s PodCamp Podcast and was amazed to hear him still on the air about 11:50am, having gone live just after the news at 11.

Anyway – the question was posed to him “from Carlow Music and KilkennyMusic.com was simple and completely (one would hope), non-political. “What’s your favourite band”.

In his own words, here’s Gerry Adams talking up his favourite band, music and his new iPod, the clip provided to me by KCLR96FM. You can listen to On The Record with Sue Nunn Monday to Friday from 10am to 12pm, streaming live via KCLR96FM.com.

Ever since I picked up the iPod Touch at Christmas I’ve been ducking in and out of the App Store to see what’s new, what’s popular, what applications are out there. One I was directed to this morning is the new Ustream.tv app, now available for iPhone / iPod and can be downloaded (thankfully) for free using an Irish Apple Store ID.

Ustream isn’t strange territory for me. It was one of the first streaming video platforms to be used (and is still used in some cases) for Irish barcamp events. Conn is / was a regular streamer via Edgecast while Tom Raftery is also streaming for the GreenMonk Engery and Sustainability Show on Monday afternoons, the video of which I was able to pick up on through the app.

The download is quick and painless through the App Store and when logging in you’re given the option to watch live shows, check upcoming shows or view archived material (how I found Tom’s clip). Current top live channel is the Museum of the American Indian Inauguration Cam which is one of the sources that will be hit today (currently 1400+ viewers) to track the inauguration of Barack Obama later today. It’s also a great way to get some good quality streaming audio and video onto the iPod, a device which is rapidly taking over my tweeting, reading and everything else at home in the evening.

Download the app here (iTunes link) or use the App Store link on your iPod / iPhone and search for Ustream.

Well, given that there’s been a new firmware release from the same group that published the Classic firmware I figured I may get to testing the new iPod Touch interface for the iPod video.

Don’t go getting excited – it’s not going to turn your iPod video into a touchscreen interface, but it will give you a rather impressive new interface for your iPod video.

Note that I had previously been using an early release of the iPod classic firmware, iTunes clearing that on me last night to install Apple’s 1.2.3 release for the 5G iPod, which I’ve overwritten with the new iPod Touch firmware release (built on 1.2.1).

Update: Almost 12 months on, I’ve stopped using my own video iPod and haven’t attempted this upgrade since I first made the post, I’m now happily using an actual iPod Touch. Note that as with any software or firmware upgrades or installs, you also accept responsibility for your actions and following the steps. I can’t and won’t guarantee that it will work for you as it’s been a while since I attempted it myself. I don’t accept iPods via mail to change firmware and I don’t accept responsibility for your own iPod when you’re making changes.

Remember, if you get stuck, you can do the iPod reset as outlined in the older post.

Before plugging in your iPod access the main menu settings by going to Settings > Main Menu when you turn your iPod on. Make sure the only menus switched on are ‘Music’, ‘Photos’, ‘Videos’ and ‘Extras’, everything else can be switched off. This will ensure there are no broken links or errors in navigating your iPod from the main screen.

Connect iPod to PC (iPod Wizard is windows based). If iTunes opens on connecting, youâ€™ll need to close it and make sure that nothing else is accessing your iPod at the time. If connected properly, you will see the â€˜Do Not Disconnectâ€™ warning on your iPod screen.

Browse (via My Computer) to your downloaded firmware and if zipped, unzip it to a new folder. I named my folder 5G iPod Touch Hack.

In iPod Wizard, set your edit mode (top left corner) to â€˜Firmware Fileâ€™.

Click the â€˜Open Firmwareâ€™ button and navigate to your â€˜5G iPod Touch Hackâ€™ folder and open the â€˜TouchHack2.0â€™ file (Windows displays the default icon if no filetype associated, it has a .bin extension). Once loaded, the firmwareâ€™s version name will appear beside the â€˜open firmware buttonâ€™.

Click ‘Write To iPod’ to start copying the firmware onto your iPod. This doesn’t have any impact on your music collection, everything remains intact. The write process can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Once written, press ‘Eject’ in iPod Wizard. You should hear the Windows sound (if your speakers are on) for the removable drive disconnecting. DON’T unplug your iPod. Your iPod will restart and begin loading the new firmware for the first time.

When your iPod has fully restarted, press ‘Eject’ again in iPod Wizard. This will disconnect your iPod from your PC at which time you can remove the cable and start exploring your new interface.

Since September 2006 you can also add a 60gb video iPod to that list. In my pocket, in my bag, in work, in the van, on a bus, on a trip to Canada, on a trip to Germany – wherever I went, the iPod followed.

It had been a month since I’d seen it. I’d used the iPod (as I always do) in setting up the rig for the night, check sound levels, quick pan left and right and put it away. Collecting the gear the next morning, I grabbed the iPod, put it into the van (or at least thought I did) but it never made it back to Kilkenny. Any boxes, bags, anything small enough to hold the device have long been emptied.

Hell, even at the weekend I unscrewed the lower panels in the back of the van just in case it had some how slipped in behind them.

Alas, no.

Flash to Monday of this week and I was hovering with my finger over the publish button on this post, which ultimately had a different outcome. In Monday’s post I would have talked about how the iPod was an extension of my being. Like a lost puppy it followed me absolutely everywhere – gigs, walking around town, working out, around the house, in my camera bag, in work, in the van, never leaving my side. I would have talked about how strange it is to get attached to a digital device. I’ve had phones I’ve loved, laptops I’ve loved but when something *just works* and shows no sign of needing an upgrade or update, provides great battery life (through care), hasn’t a mark on it (bar some wear on the back) and does everything I need it to do, then obviously I’m going to get attached to it. That said, this is the iPod I upgraded the firmware on.

Plus at the time, it was a considerable investment, breaching the 450 euro mark (yes, in typical Apple fashion it wasn’t long before they announced the 80gb slim models but there you go…).

Ever since the secondary school days I’ve had some form of portable music player sitting in my bag – hell even go back to primary school days where I would accept sitting through slower renditions of my favourite songs because the batteries in my walkman weren’t totally depleted. Walking to work in Waterford my minidisc would sit happily in my pocket. On the bus home from college by Creative Zen Jukebox would provide me with some musical interludes between conversations. But in the 18 months I’ve had my iPod it never left my side.

Yesterday I would have talked about how it was time to look for another iPod. I didn’t necessarily need wifi, but maybe it would be interesting. I didn’t necessarily need to go to a 160gb classic model, but maybe the extra space would come in handy some day. However, I had also resigned myself to the fact that replacing my iPod would, in the present climate, have to take a lower priority on the list of things I’ve got lined up. Plus, if I was going iPod touch route I’d certainly try and organise something overseas rather than pay Apple’s silly exchange rate where US$1 = â‚¬1.

But, no more.

Rummaging through a bag of XLR cables needing to be repaired on Monday (and stuck with a tube of masking tape around it) the mourning of a device turned to sheer joy. Battery drained, marked up from the tape (comes of with cleaning) but a full charge via USB and the world is back to normal.

I think I’d been physically upset at losing the iPod, such is my attachment to it. Or at the very least angry with myself for having misplaced it to begin with. How it ended up in the bag is beyond me as I certainly didn’t put it there – I wouldn’t mind only I’d been through that bag before and had it out at two gigs since.

At least now I can empty iTunes of all the podcast content I’ve downloaded.

Update: Updated on February 29th 2008 with latest versions of firmware (1.2.2 version at time of press). See main site here.

After picking up on a new firmware release for the iPod Video (both 5G and 5.5g), Iâ€™ve gone and replaced the original firmware on my iPod to that resembling the iPod Classic. (via)
The â€˜Beforeâ€™ imagesâ€¦

Firmware for your video iPod (5G Version or 5.5G Version). Iâ€™m on the 5G version, no search feature and itâ€™s the 60GB model. If youâ€™re on the slim 30gb / 80gb model and/or have the search feature then itâ€™s likely youâ€™re a 5.5G model but be sure! See my warning note below.

iPod cable

How to modify the iPodâ€™s firmwareâ€¦

Connect iPod to PC (iPod Wizard is windows based). If iTunes opens on connecting, youâ€™ll need to close it and make sure that nothing else is accessing your iPod at the time. If connected properly, you will see the â€˜Do Not Disconnectâ€™ warning on your iPod screen.

Open up your copy of iPod Wizard (it doesnâ€™t require installation, but does need to be unzipped to a folder).

Browse (via My Computer) to your downloaded firmware and if zipped, unzip it to a new folder. Unzipping should create a folder called â€˜Classic Firmware for 5G v1.0â€™ (depending on what firmware version you downloaded).

In iPod Wizard, set your edit mode (top left corner) to â€˜Firmware Fileâ€™.

Click the â€˜Open Firmwareâ€™ button and navigate to your â€˜Classic Firmwareâ€¦â€™ folder and open the â€˜Classic Firmwareâ€¦â€™ file (Windows displays the default icon if no filetype associated). Once loaded, the firmwareâ€™s version name will appear beside the â€˜open firmware buttonâ€™.

In the â€˜Firmware Informationâ€™ box, press â€˜Write To iPodâ€™ (top left). The writing process may take 2-3 minutes.

When finished, you need to eject your iPod safely from your computer â€“ whether via the â€˜Safely Remove Hardwareâ€™ icon in your system tray of via My Computer (right click on your iPod and press â€˜Ejectâ€™. Ejecting the iPod will restart the iPod automatically, booting with the new firmware.

I hadnâ€™t seen the interface on the iPod classic before today but really like the split screen approach. I donâ€™t feel anything is lost by adding the firmware. Navigating through the menu system is quick, though the slide from left to right could be a lot smoother (or instant). The new fonts are bigger, smoother, clearer though the fonts in the title bar look a fraction distorted (menus are fine).

I also realised through the new interface that I really need to update my album artwork across the majority of recent additions to my iPod. Also, it’s worth going through the iPodWizard forums if you’re up for a bit of hacking!

Warning (a.k.a How Not To Update Your iPod)

Adding this firmware does not erase the contents on your iPod. BUT – make sure you’re using the correct firmware version for your iPod. The wrong firmware on your iPod will leave it in the infinite loop mode (as I did with Aidan’s). To get around this you need to restore your iPod to it’s original settings, effectively wiping whatever music is on your iPod. Resyncing with your library will restore your music.

To restore your iPod you must hold the middle button (centre of wheel) and ‘Play’ at the same time, forcing the iPod into Disk Mode (like safe mode for all the world). Reconnect your iPod to your computer and pop open iTunes, the iTunes software automatically recognising the iPod needs to be restored. The restoration process takes 1-2 minutes.